Description

The Germania of Tacitus is the most extensive account of the ancient Germans written during the Roman period, but has been relatively neglected in the scholarship of the English-speaking world: the last commentary appeared in 1938, and only a handful of studies have appeared since that time. In recent decades, however, there have been important scholarly developments that significantly affect our understanding of it. Ongoing archaeological work in western and central Europe has greatly increased our knowledge of the iron-age cultures in those regions, while new anthropological and literary approaches have called into question some of the traditional assumptions that shaped the use of this text as a historical source. This new commentary, together with the extensive introduction, provides a current and comprehensive guide to the relevant textual and archaeological evidence and also examines the methodological issues involved in the interpretation of this important work.show more

Review quote

A reader seeking information about Tacitus' monograph and guidance as to its importance in a variety of areas will receive good value from this book. Sane, learned, and well written, it will at once become an important entry in all bibliographies on the Germania. Gnomon Rives has given us a volume which will require the attention of all students of the Germania, both for his own views and his recapitulation of earlier scholarship. It is a rich feast. Gnomon Rives ducks no important and difficult point; his discussions are extensive and sane. Gnomon The reader who comes to study the monograph without much background will learn a great deal. Rives is particularly good on the ethnographic tradition of which Tacitus was a part and on anthropology. Gnomon Rives has done a masterful job ... handsomely produced, with attractive type and ample white space on the page. It will serve its varied readers well, both those who know no Latin and those who wish the text elucidated. Gnomon A scholarly, authoritative text ... a great resource. Phoenix Rives's edition will prove useful work to anyone interested in this fascinating ancient text, classicist or otherwise, and it will be a great help in raising the profile of this important text. James T. Chlupshow more